2005 CUP SCHEDULING NEWS/RUMORS
2005/2006 NEWS and RUMORS
- Mexico Busch race 'rain or shine'? The NASCAR Busch venture to Mexico City next March will be run rain or shine, and Busch teams will have to be prepared to race in the rain on rain tires, according to NASCAR sources, and their cars will have to be rain-equipped with windshield wipers and defoggers and brake lights. NASCAR this year abandoned its rain-contingency plans for Cup racing. Busch teams haven't raced on road courses in several years so they will have to build new cars. One question that many Cup teams are interested in is if NASCAR will eventually rebadge the Mexico City race as a Nextel Cup race. A number of Nextel crew chiefs have been invited by NASCAR executives to attend the Busch race, heightening speculation.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-25-2004)
- 2005 NASCAR Busch Series Sched Announced - add Mexico and Watkins Glen - up to 35 races: The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) today announced its 2005 NASCAR Busch Series schedule, including an international date – a race in Mexico City at the famed Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez road course.
The event, set for March 6, will be the third race of the 35-race season and the first NASCAR Busch Series points event held outside the United States. It also will mark the return of road-course racing to the NASCAR Busch Series, as will an Aug. 13 event set for Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International. The NASCAR Busch Series previously had road-course races at Road Atlanta in 1986 and ’87 and at Watkins Glen from 1991-2001.
Mexico has a long history of interest in motorsports and a passionate fan base. A race weekend at the 2.75-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez last year drew a three-day total of 402,413 fans, including 221,011 on race day. NASCAR’s connections to Mexican racing span more than a half century. In June 1950, NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. teamed with Curtis Turner to drive in the first Mexican Road Race – a 2,178-mile race from El Paso, Texas, across Mexico to Guatemala.
Mexican racing legend Pedro Rodriguez participated in six NASCAR events from 1959-71. His best finish was fifth in the 1965 World 600 at Charlotte. Rodriguez and his brother, Ricardo, raced frequently at Daytona International Speedway in the early 1960s with Pedro winning the Daytona Continental sports car event in 1963 and ‘64. Rodriguez again scored back-to-back Daytona wins with victories in the 1970 and 1971 24 Hours of Daytona sports car classic.
Worldwide fan demand, combined with the power of the NASCAR brand and the quality of the competition has fueled interest in NASCAR by broadcasters around the world. NASCAR is now seen in more than 150 countries and in 23 languages. This year, NASCAR’s international broadcast partners will air more than 4,000 hours of NASCAR-related programming outside the U.S. The return of Watkins Glen to the schedule now gives that track a doubleheader weekend, with the NASCAR Busch Series a companion to the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event set for Aug. 14.
The 2005 NASCAR Busch Series schedule showcases exciting racing at popular venues coast to coast as well as the trend of pairing NASCAR Busch Series races with NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series events. There are nine such NASCAR “tripleheader weekends” in 2005.
The 2005 NASCAR Busch Series will encompass 35 events at 27 tracks in 22 states and two countries with 26 events run in conjunction with the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. All 35 events are scheduled to be broadcast on FOX/NBC/FX/TNT.
Proudly sponsored by Anheuser-Busch through its Busch brand\, the NASCAR Busch Series will compete in its 24th consecutive season in 2005, opening February 19 at Daytona International Speedway, as part of a tripleheader weekend including the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series’ Daytona 500.
The NASCAR Busch Series moves to California Speedway in the Los Angeles market on February 26, before heading to Mexico City on March 6, followed by momentum-building events at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 12 and Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 19. The 2005 schedule includes the addition of second dates at Phoenix International Raceway, which will run its races on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, Nov. 12; and Texas Motor Speedway, which will host its events Saturday, April 16 and Saturday, Nov. 5. The season will conclude, as it has since 1995, at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The race is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 19.(NASCAR PR)
See the 2005 Busch Series Schedule at:
ThatsRacin.com
BGNRacing.com
NASCAR.com.(8-5-2004)
- Mexico race to be announced on Thursday? UPDATE: hearing that the long rumored Busch Series race in Mexico, will be announced on Thursday, August 5th. Not sure if the rest of the Busch Series Sched will be announced.(8-4-2004)
AND will supposedly be the long rumored date of March 6th, also look for Watkins Glen to reclaim a Busch Series race in 2005.(8-5-2004)
UPDATE: NASCAR will stage its first points-paying event outside the United States in a half-century when the Busch series races next year in Mexico City, The Associated Press has learned. A NASCAR official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday that the race is scheduled for next spring at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a 2.786-mile road course that currently hosts Champ Car events. The series also will return after a three-year absence to the road course in Watkins Glen, N.Y. The entire schedule for the Busch series is expected to be released Thursday.(USA Today/AP)
AND NASCAR is expected to release its 2005 Busch Series schedule as early as Thursday and it will include the addition of two road course events - at Mexico City and Watkins Glen, N.Y., ThatsRacin.com has learned. The race in Mexico is expected to be held at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a 2.786-mile road course that has hosted the CART series, or Champ Car, since 2002.
NASCAR officials have visited the facility several times over the past few months. Former series director Brian DeHart made a visit within the past month, sources confirmed Wednesday. Whether the race in Mexico City is a points-paying race or "exhibition" remains unclear. NASCAR has held exhibition races in the past, most notably in Japan and Australia.(ThatsRacin.com)(8-5-2004)
- More on the Mexico Race: NASCAR should have an announcement in the next few weeks regarding a Busch race in Mexico City, which has been the main sticking point of the 2005 Busch schedule. NASCAR also will introduce a 10-year deal to run a touring series at the complex. With plans to race in Canada also in the works, NASCAR could expand its operations to three countries in North America.(Foxsports/Sporting News)(7-26-2004)
- More on the Busch Mexico Race: NASCAR hasn't announced that the Busch Series will race in Mexico City next year, but some team owners' actions speak louder than words. Three owners said they already were making preparations to go to Mexico City for the March 5-6 weekend, an off weekend for the Nextel Cup Series between California and Las Vegas. They privately say the deal is virtually done.(NASCAR Scene via BGNRacing.com)(7-17-2004)
- NASCAR Visits Toronto: Some NASCAR executives were at the Toronto Indy on Saturday [7/10]. The top racing series in North America has expressed an interest in the Canadian market as a jumping off spot for global expansion. NASCAR's chief operating officer George Pyne told The Toronto Sun he was here on a fact-finding mission. "We're just kicking the tires," Pyne said as he led NASCAR technical director Gary Nelson and international director Robbie Weiss on a tour of pit lane. "I have always said that Canada is an important market for us," Pyne said. "Is it possible we could run (Craftsman) trucks or Busch (at Molson Indy)? Yes, it is possible." Pyne and his group also met with CASCAR Super Series owner Tony Novotny. While Pyne would not comment on the possibility of NASCAR buying the Canadian stock car series, it was noted that Nelson, who controls all things technical in the Daytona Beach-based series, was inspecting the CASCAR cars that were getting ready to race yesterday. A Molson Indy executive told The Sun they were aware of NASCAR's interest in Toronto and welcomed any inquiries about future participation by them at the annual event.(Toronto Sun)(7-12-2004)
- Mexico Busch race to be announced soon? hearing rumblings that a deal was completed for NASCAR Mexico and the
Busch race in early March 2005..with an announcement looming in the next couple of days.(7-6-2004)
- Truck Race in Canada? NASCAR officials spent last Sunday touring racetracks in Canada, looking for a place to hold a Craftsman Truck Series race. Two issues are holding up a possible tour date north of the border. First, NASCAR uses leaded fuels, and Canada has a strict unleaded policy. The second issue involves the tires, though garage sources aren't clear what the problem is. Insiders were confident a deal will be worked out.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(5-24-2004)
- No Mexico in 2005? NASCAR's Mexico City plans for 2005 are expected to be postponed until 2006 because of security concerns, according to NASCAR sources. NASCAR officials want to run a Busch/Truck weekend at the Mexico City road course, in a big push for the Hispanic audience. But the fallout from the Iraq war and other security issues would force the Mexican military to become involved in the venture, sources said. So the entire plan will now likely be pushed back a year.(Winston Salem Journal)(6-5-2004)
- Busch Series to Mexico - March 6, 2005? NASCAR is "seriously considering" holding a Busch Series race in Mexico City next year, a series official said. Officials are looking at running the race on what would be an off weekend for the Cup series. At least one major Busch team expects the race to be held the weekend of March 6 although NASCAR has not selected a date. Jim Hunter, NASCAR vice president, said that series officials have had "numerous meetings with the track there. It's an outstanding facility, and now it's just a matter of working out some of the details to figure out whether we can do it and when to do it." If the race was held March 6, it would follow Daytona and California, the season's first two Cup races. NASCAR would hold the race at the 2.786-mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez facility in Mexico City. The Champ Car circuit reported a three-day attendance of 402,413 fans last year and a race-day crowd of 221,011 spectators for its event.(Roanoke Times)(5-16-2004)
- REALIGNMENT ANNOUNCED FOR 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL CUP SERIES SCHEDULE:
Officials of NASCAR announced today the next phase in the sanctioning body's schedule realignment process. Keeping pace with the increasing demands of NASCAR's nationwide growth in popularity, the 36-race 2005 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series schedule has been adjusted to address that growth, via the following changes:
* New NASCAR NEXTEL Cup race dates have been sanctioned at Texas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway. Texas Motor Speedway's new event will be held on Nov. 6; as the season's 34th event, it will be crucial in the 10-race "Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup" that determines the series champion. Phoenix International Raceway's new race will be on Saturday night, April 23. Texas retains its spring date (April 17), while Phoenix retains the next-to-last slot on the schedule (Nov. 13).
* North Carolina Speedway will not be on the schedule after this [2004] season.
* Darlington Raceway now will have one date on the schedule, with the track's fall race moving from November to the evening of
Saturday, May 7.
* California Speedway will have the first of its two events on Feb. 27, one week after the season-opening Daytona 500 - the date previously held by North Carolina Speedway. Thus, the series will now travel from the season's biggest race to the nation's second-largest
market. California's other race will remain on Labor Day weekend (Sept. 4).
In January 2003, NASCAR announced "Realignment 2004 and Beyond." The plan calls for regular review of race dates and locations in order to continue bringing the most competitive racing in the world to the widest possible audience, and providing the kind of value that has proven NASCAR to be one of the very best sports properties.
"The 2005 schedule marks an important milestone in NASCAR's realignment efforts because it provides opportunities for more fans to experience first-hand NASCAR NEXTEL Cup events near their hometowns," said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France.
The schedule continues to reflect the increasing demand for races throughout the country. In 2005, the Southeast will continue to be well-served with great racing in Richmond, Charlotte, Atlanta, Daytona Beach and many others; additionally, NASCAR continues to reach out to new fans in the Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, and the West.
The 2005 season - NASCAR's 57th - will open on Sunday, Feb. 20 with the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. In addition, NASCAR officials announced that the NASCAR Preseason Thunder test sessions will return to Daytona International Speedway in January 2005.(NASCAR PR)(5-14-2004)
- Martinsville bought by ISC, Rockingham sold to SMI by ISC: International Speedway Corporation [ISC] announced the following: The Company will acquire the assets of Martinsville Speedway, which hosts two NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series events annually, for $192 million. The acquisition will be funded by $100.4 million in proceeds from the sale of the assets of North Carolina Speedway, which currently hosts one NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event annually, and $91.6 million in cash. Speedway Motorsports, Inc. [SMI] will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million, as per the terms of a settlement agreement in the Ferko/Vaughn litigation filed with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division. The Settlement Agreement releases ISC and NASCAR from all claims related to the litigation. The released claims include, but are not limited to, allegations or assertions with respect to the awarding and/or sanctioning of races, the effect of the common control of NASCAR and ISC residing in the France Family Group, and the market power either individually or jointly of NASCAR and ISC. Separately, the Company received NASCAR's approval for the realignment of several NASCAR NEXTEL Cup races within its portfolio beginning in 2005. The net result is the addition of a second Cup event for Phoenix International Raceway and the reduction of Darlington Raceway's event schedule by one Cup date. ISC also intends for Nazareth Speedway's NASCAR Busch and IRL IndyCar events to be realigned to other facilities within its portfolio and will cease major motorsport event operations at the facility after completion of the track's 2004 events. Martinsville Acquisition and Ferko/Vaughn Settlement The acquisition of Martinsville and the sale of North Carolina will happen in a series of transactions that will essentially occur simultaneously. Martinsville is privately owned, and the France family, which controls in excess of 60% of the combined voting interest of ISC, indirectly owns 50% of Martinsville. The addition of an incremental NASCAR NEXTEL Cup date resulting from the Transactions was integral to the Company's decision to settle the Ferko/Vaughn litigation through the sale of North Carolina. Under the terms of the Settlement Agreement, SMI will purchase North Carolina for $100.4 million in cash. The sale of North Carolina is expected to close following the satisfaction of conditions as provided in the North Carolina Asset Purchase Agreement and the Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Agreement is subject to Court approval, which the Company anticipates receiving within the next 30 to 45 days. The purchase prices for the assets of both facilities are subject to certain non-material adjustments and prorations at closing, and both are expected to close within the next 30 to 45 days in ISC's third quarter. ISC expects to record an approximate $36 million after-tax gain, or $0.68 per diluted share, from the sale of North Carolina and will reflect the facility's operations as discontinued in the Company's financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles Significant Realignment Initiatives Announced for 2005 NASCAR has approved ISC's proposal for the realignment of several NEXTEL Cup dates, including races at Phoenix, Darlington and California Speedway. Commented John R. Saunders, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ISC. "In addition, race fans in the Southwest will have another opportunity to experience the excitement of live NASCAR NEXTEL Cup racing. We will install lighting at Phoenix in order for the facility's 2005 spring race to finish under the lights during east coast prime time, typically a time of day with larger television audiences. Also, by realigning Nazareth's Busch and IRL events to other facilities in our portfolio, we believe we can successfully grow these events over the long term at a quicker rate than in their current venue. As such, we are presently working with the various sanctioning bodies involved." ISC will record a non-cash pre-tax charge of approximately $13 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, to reflect the impairment of Nazareth's long-lived assets.(ISC PR)(5-14-2004)
- Martinsville now 100% ISC's? UPDATE 2 To be sold to ISC: hearing that Martinsville Speedway, partially owned by ISC, has purchased purchased the remaining 51% they of the track they didn't own. Supposedly Clay Campbell will still run the track.(3-19-2004)
UPDATE Denied: been told by folks with Martinsville Speedway that this rumor is no true and is incorrect. Also, the France family owns part of the track, not publicly-owned ISC.(3-20-2004)
UPDATE 2: International Speedway Corp.[ISC] will announce today that it has purchased Martinsville Speedway, an industry source said, in what will be a day of several major announcements regarding NASCAR's future. International Speedway Corp., which owns 11 tracks that host Nextel Cup races, will purchase Martinsville Speedway from the Earles and France families, said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. Clay Campbell, president of Martinsville Speedway, did not return calls. Campbell, who will remain as the track's president, is expected to attend an 11:00am/et ISC news conference at Richmond International Raceway announcing the sale. He'll return to Martinsville Speedway for a 2:00pm/et news conference there. An official with International Speedway Corp. would not confirm the transaction. If ISC purchases Martinsville Speedway, it would mark the first time in five years the company has bought a track that hosts Cup races. ISC bought Richmond International Raceway from Paul Sawyer and his sons in 1999 for about $215 million. Eighteen of the 36 Cup races this season will be held at ISC-owned tracks, including Daytona, Talladega and Darlington. Now a 92,000-seat track that has had 21 consecutive sellouts, Martinsville Speedway will retain its two dates next season, but the future is murky. "I wouldn't be surprised at some point if Martinsville totally goes away," said Tim Conder, a leisure analyst who specializes in the racing industry for A.G. Edwards, one of the nation's largest and oldest investment firms. "I'd put that somewhere on the long-term endangered list." Conder defined "long term" as three to five years. "Who knows what tomorrow is going to bring, but in the foreseeable future I think they're solid on the schedule," NASCAR Vice President Jim Hunter said of Martinsville's future. Hunter would not say whether that meant for one or two races a year.(in part from the Roanoke Times)(5-14-2004)
- Darlington to host NEXTEL Cup Series racing under the lights in May 2005: Stock car racing's original superspeedway, Darlington Raceway, will once again serve as a groundbreaker for NASCAR, inaugurating an entirely new race weekend in May 2005, track officials announced today. The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series' 104th visit to Darlington Raceway will take place on Mother's Day weekend, and will be Darlington's first-ever full weekend of night racing. The Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race will be run on Saturday, May 7, the evening before Mother's Day. Although historically the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series has not run on Mother's Day weekend, other series do, most notably, the NASCAR Busch Series. Scheduling the race on Saturday evening will allow fans as well as teams to have the best of both worlds, to spend Sunday with their families after watching sparks fly under the lights at Darlington on Saturday night. Don't miss the 55th, and final, running of the Mountain Dew Southern 500 on Sunday, November 14. Fans who purchase seats by early August for this legendary event, which will finish under the lights for the first time in history, will be offered the first chance to purchase tickets for the 2005 Carolina Dodge Dealers 500 on May 7, 2005. The Mountain Dew Southern 500 weekend also includes the BI-LO 200 NASCAR Busch Series race on Saturday, November 13, and the Darlington 200 NASCAR Truck Series race on Friday evening, November 12, the first race at Darlington to be run under the lights from green flag to checkered flag. For tickets or more information on upcoming events at Darlington, contact the Raceway ticket hotline toll-free at 1.866.459.RACE (7223), or log onto www.darlingtonraceway.com.(5-14-2004)
- Nazareth Speedway to discontinue racing: Statement from Craig Rust, Nazareth Speedway President: "Earlier today our parent company, International Speedway Corporation, announced that it intends to realign Nazareth Speedway's NASCAR Busch and IRL IndyCar series events and will discontinue all spectator motorsports events at the end of the 2004 season. As President of Nazareth Speedway since 2000, I have strong personal ties with the surrounding communities. And, while we've been able to do some great things at the speedway, we haven't been able to achieve the level of support that is necessary to grow our business. I would like to recognize some local companies that have been wonderful partners of Nazareth Speedway over the years, including Air Products, Key Pontiac, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Martin Guitar, Pepsi and Service Electric. We certainly appreciate their endless support and for standing behind us over the years. Each of these companies is truly a leader in the Lehigh Valley business community. In addition, I would like to extend a special thank you to our other partners - Firestone, Goulds Pumps ITT Industries and General Motors - for being a part of the Nazareth Speedway family. Finally, I would like to thank the group of loyal fans that have stuck by Nazareth Speedway through the years as events have come and gone, through the snow and the sunshine. I hope that we will see you out at the Speedway for our two events in 2004, which will continue as planned - the NASCAR Busch Series Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200 on May 22-23 and the Firestone Indy 225 IRL IndyCar Series weekend, August 27-29."(Nazareth Speedway PR)(5-14-2004)
- 2005 Brickyard 400 Date: Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2005 Brickyard 400 is expected to be confirmed as Aug. 7 when NASCAR releases its Nextel Cup schedule Friday.(Indianapolis Star)(5-13-2004)
- No More then 36 races? The 2005 schedule dominated discussions in the garage last weekend, but NASCAR vice chairman Bill France refused to comment on specifics because of a pending lawsuit. Several possible scenarios have been suggested, but NASCAR insiders insist the schedule will not expand beyond the current 36 points races.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(4-26-2004)
- More on the future schedule; Nashville and Kentucky maybe? Speculation about NASCAR's 2005 and 2006 Nextel tour schedules continues, and NASCAR executives are now trying to cool prospects of an expansion beyond a 36-race Cup tour. But it appears that Daytona officials are planning to add new tracks to the tour by cutting some current tracks back to a single event. The two tracks being closely watched now are Nashville and Kentucky, which have held Busch races for several years. Among reasons for holding off on any expansion - sponsors might be unwilling to spend any more money on extra races, at least not until TV ratings start going back up. Plus, TV said it's not able to sell enough ads to make money on the current package of 36 Cup races and two special events. While Fox may be comfortable with its half of the tour (Phoenix and Kansas would likely be the only two new stops), the second half of the schedule is more problematic, particularly with NASCAR reportedly wooing ABC-ESPN for part of that schedule, depending on what NBC does.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-25-2004)
- NASCAR denies Speedway rumor: Yes, Jeff Boerger said, he's heard the latest rumors and read the latest reports concerning the revamping of the Nextel Cup schedule for next year. Especially the rumors and reports that mention Kansas Speedway as a candidate to land a second Nextel Cup race as part of that revamping. But no, Boerger said, he doesn't put much stock in them.
“It's all just pure speculation,” said Boerger, Speedway president. In the intervening months, there have been numerous reports in the media and on Internet sites about what other races would be moved and to which major markets those races would be awarded. Kansas Speedway has been mentioned as the possible recipient of a second Nextel Cup race in several of the reports. It was most recently mentioned this week by the Dallas Morning News. The stories' sources for the information were not identified. But on Friday, NASCAR chairman and chief executive officer Brian France said no decision on a second date for Kansas has been made. “They (Kansas Speedway) certainly would be in the running for another date,” France said. “Kansas City is a good speedway in a great market, but I can't tell you there will be another date there.” Phoenix International Raceway is also being considered for a second Cup date, and several reports have that facility moving ahead of Kansas in the derby to land another event.(Kansas City Star)(4-24-2004)
- Schedule Expansion on hold? Any plans NASCAR and International Speedway Corp. (ISC) might have had for further expansion of the 38-week tour for 2005 will likely be put on hold while the sport tries to digest the expected addition of second events at Texas, Phoenix and possibly Kansas. Sluggish ticket sales for next week's California race appear to have shaken Daytona officials.(more at Winston Salem Journal)(4-24-2004)
- Some Rockingham Notes/Comments: Rockingham has gone the way of North Wilkesboro. And Hickory. And Bowman Gray. And Raleigh. And Asheville-Weaverville. The news out of Daytona is, once again, sad. We will race no more at North Carolina Motor Speedway. NASCAR will sacrifice it for a second race at Texas as a part of a convoluted settlement of a convoluted lawsuit. NCMS will be dropped from the 2005 schedule. The next schedule will also be without one of the Darlington events, the old track finally losing out to progress and legal battles. Phoenix is expected to add a second race for the 2005 season as the sport continues a trend away from its Southern roots toward nationalism. The official announcements will not come until later in the summer, and few people in the sport were willing to talk as the news trickled out this week. People in and around Rockingham were more than willing. "We're mad, we're angry and we're disappointed that we weren't given a chance," Rockingham city manager Monty Crump said. "This was a done deal. We were set up to fail." There's a lot of truth behind Crump's claim. The races at Rockingham could've easily been saved by moving the winter race to the summer, by adding lights and by NASCAR acknowledging that North Carolina Motor Speedway was an important part of the sport.(more at the Roanoke Times)(4-23-2004)
- Phoenix still awaits NASCAR decision on 2nd Cup race: As speculation heats up that a second Nextel Cup Series race is headed to Phoenix for the 2005 season, cautiously optimistic Phoenix International Raceway officials say they are still in the dark about NASCAR's plans. PIR President Bryan Sperber disputed a story published Wednesday in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, citing unnamed sources, claiming PIR and Texas Motor Speedway have been awarded second race dates for 2005. "I don't put a lot of stock in it because I don't believe a final decision has been made," Sperber said. "Historically, that's not the way NASCAR has approached things like this with me. I was the president of Watkins Glen International for eight years, and every decision that was made with respect to scheduling, NASCAR always kept me in the loop. If a final decision like this has been made, I would suspect I would be the first person they called. But I have not received a call, so there's no reason for me to believe a final decision has been made. Some days I feel real optimistic about our chances, and other days I don't. We've been trying to get one since February 2003, and there's been a lot of articles like this. One said we were a lock to get one in 2004. The truth is, we haven't been notified by NASCAR or anybody else that a second race is coming."(Arizona Republic)(4-23-2004)
- 2nd Race at Vegas too? even though it wasn't mentioned in the TMS getting 2nd race in 2005? story, am hearing that Las Vegas Motor Speedway has a good chance at getting a 2nd Cup race in 2005.
AND ISC wants Bruton Smith to give up the all-star race, which has been at Smith's Charlotte track for nearly 20 years, a gift from R. J. Reynolds. Smith says he is adamant about keeping the race. However sources say that Smith has been offered a second Cup race at Las Vegas in exchange for the all-star race. The all-star race, after all, does belong to NASCAR, and it could easily be "repossessed." Whatever happens to the all-star race, it is not expected to remain as a race on a standalone weekend.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-23-2004)
- TMS getting 2nd race in 2005: Texas Motor Speedway will have its long-awaited second NASCAR Nextel Cup Series race in 2005. The Fort Worth racetrack will be granted two races per season as part of a settlement of Francis Ferko's lawsuit against NASCAR, sources told the Star-Telegram on Tuesday. Ferko, of Plano, filed the suit in February 2002 on behalf of shareholders of Speedway Motorsports, the company that built and operates TMS. An announcement could be made next month, though sources said the settlement probably won't be declared final until the summer. NASCAR usually unveils its schedule in August or September. TMS President Eddie Gossage declined to comment. Calls to NASCAR and its attorney, Alan B. Vickery, weren't returned. Ferko attorney Samuel A. Cherry Jr. said last month that settlement negotiations were under way. The second date, which sources said will probably be in early November during the 10-race "Chase for the Championship," is the key piece of an agreement that keeps the Cup schedule at 36 races and involves four other facilities: Phoenix International Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and North Carolina Speedway.
• Darlington, owned by lawsuit co-defendant International Speedway Corp., loses one of its two dates and will hold its race the day before Mother's Day, traditionally an open weekend for the Cup Series.
• North Carolina, an ISC track that was pared to one race this season, will lose its remaining February date.
• Phoenix, another ISC racetrack, will also have two Cup dates -- in February (North Carolina's race) and November (Darlington's second date). Phoenix and TMS will be two of 14 facilities with two races in 2005.
• Atlanta, a sister track of TMS in Bruton Smith's Speedway Motorsports empire, will keep its two dates, but the spring race will be pushed later into March in an attempt to ease weather concerns.
NASCAR and ISC are owned by the France family of Daytona Beach, Fla., and are accused by Ferko of violating federal antitrust laws. Ferko also claims that NASCAR breached "express" and "implied" contracts with the "promise" of a second date for TMS.
"We've heard our name mentioned in relation with a second Nextel Cup race for almost two years now, yet we have not heard anything official from anyone," Phoenix raceway President Bryan Sperber said Tuesday. "If it did happen, we would be ecstatic and would certainly do our best to represent NASCAR as best we could."
Darlington, in rural South Carolina, and North Carolina Speedway, in the small town of Rockingham, surfaced in reports last month as speedways that could be affected by the lawsuit. Their small markets and relatively limited seating capacities (combined 120,113) ultimately cost the two traditional NASCAR tracks.
"What we're going through now is not a great deal different than what the NFL, the NBA and certainly the NHL went through: the nationalization of the sport," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, and president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports. "There are forces at work outside of racing -- sponsors or TV -- that want those bigger numbers, and you can't get bigger numbers without bigger markets. It's going to be very difficult economically if you don't have 100,000 seats. You might be able to get along for a while, but with the way purses have escalated, you're going to have to have those seats."
TMS has them. Track officials estimated that more than 200,000 fans attended the April 4 Cup race, the Samsung/RadioShack 500, which drew a 5.6 rating and a 13 share for Fox Sports. Those numbers are an attractive fit for the Chase for the Championship, the sprint for the Nextel Cup title over the final 10 races of the season. ISC racetracks will host the final three races this season (Phoenix, Nov. 7; Darlington, Nov. 14; Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 21). Atlanta, on Oct. 31, is the only Speedway Motorsports track in the final five. Next season, Phoenix and Miami will host the final two, preceded by Atlanta and Texas.
"I think a place like this ought to have two races for sure," Cup driver Rusty Wallace said last month during a test session at TMS. "There are some tracks that have got two races that sure can afford to go back to one. When you come to a place like this, it's exciting because they fill the grandstands up. It's great."
Tracking the lawsuit
Five racetracks stand to be affected by the settlement of the Francis Ferko lawsuit against NASCAR.
• Texas Motor Speedway: Gets second Nextel Cup date, probably in early November.
• Phoenix International Raceway: Gets second date, probably in early February.
• Atlanta Motor Speedway: Keeps two dates, with first moving later into March.
• Darlington Raceway: Loses one of two races; the remaining race moves to Mother's Day weekend.
• North Carolina Speedway: Loses only remaining Cup date.(Fort Worth Star Telegram - need to register or see story at ThatsRacin.com)(4-21-2004)
- Toronto and NASCAR? Toronto has been included on a "wish list" of markets where NASCAR would like to expand if -- as expected -- it adds four events to its 36-race schedule in The weekend edition of USA Today listed Toronto with New York City, Mexico City and Seattle as markets NASCAR covets. That and this report from The Toronto Sun's Dean McNulty Sources told the newspaper that there are "fairly serious" talks among NASCAR executives to include these four big North American markets in their expansion plans. It's not the first time NASCAR has mused about Toronto as a market for its races, but it has always come back to not having a track to accommodate the 800-horsepower sedans. Certainly the temporary street circuit used by Champ Car for the Toronto Molson Indy would not work for NASCAR.(Sports Business News)(4-19-2004)
- Wednesday night races? The 2005 Nextel Cup schedule continues to dominate garage chatter. The latest talk? The schedule will included three Wednesday night races, providing additional weekends off.(Foxsports/Sporting News)(4-19-2004)
- more on NASCAR in Mexico? Not Cup...yet: How realistic is the presence of NASCAR in Mexico? Very, according to George Pyne, NASCAR's chief operating officer. "I think not for the Nextel Series, but NASCAR has an interest in the Hispanic marketplace in the United States," Pyne says. "If you look where the growth opportunities are for NASCAR in any sport or business market out there, the Hispanic population is the fastest-growing segment and is significantly represented in New York, Chicago, L.A., Dallas, Phoenix and Miami. So to expand the sport we need to look at the Hispanic community. We're exploring opportunities to develop a feeder series for Hispanic drivers. If there's an international possibility that would build your domestic opportunities, then it makes sense."(Foxsports/Sporting News)(4-19-2004)
- More on 'The Rock' losing it's date/being sold: It appears one more race is leaving NASCAR's heartland... sources tell WFMY News 2. North Carolina speedway will be purchased as part of a settlement in a lawsuit and the buyer will be SpeedwayMotorsports Inc [SMI]. Their goal is to move a second race date to their Texas Motor Speedway. Here's a breakdown of what's happening and why:
Sources say SMI will buy the Rockingham track for 100-million dollars. Bruton Smith, the chairman of SMI, plans to shut down Rockingham and move that race to Texas Motor Speedway. Smith says NASCAR promised him they would give him a race at his Texas Motor Speedway, but that never happened and he had to go out and find his own. So SMI shareholders believe a deal to buy the Rockingham track and move the race to Texas will finally fulfill that promise from years ago. You may remember Smith set a precedent for moving races when he co-purchased the North Wilkesboro track years ago. That race is now at Texas Motor Speedway. So this new deal would likely mean two races that used to be in North Carolina are now in Texas.(WFMYnews2.com)(4-10-2004)
- Watkins Glen date to....Mexico? Pocono to lose a race? UPDATE 2: New rumors surfaced this week in the garage area as NASCAR looks to revamp its schedule for 2005. Now included in the reported plans to add a second race at the Texas Motor Speedway are the rumored plans to add second races at Phoenix, Las Vegas and Kansas City. To make that happen, the Darlington and Pocono raceways would each lose one race and Watkins Glen International would lose its only race. Another hot rumor is NASCAR's interest in permanently moving the road course race at Watkins Glen to a road course in Mexico City.(Augusta Chronicle)(4-3-2004)
UPDATE: While the fate of the France family's Watkins Glen road course in upstate New York as part of the Nextel Cup tour is being debated, there is increasing speculation that NASCAR's Brian France wants to add Mexico City's road course to the NASCAR Truck tour next season. France seems cooling to any plans to take Cup cars to Europe, content to play out marketing plans there instead. But he is reported to be quite optimistic about Mexico City as a potential NASCAR venue, though it is difficult to gauge if there is actually any interest in a Cup race there down the road.(Winston Salem Journal); Mexico? how about Kentucky? or Nashville? or Pikes Peak?(4-4-2004)
UPDATE 2: response to some readers email from Watkins Glen: "Thank you for your interest in the Glen. Let me first assure you that the Cup date at Watkins Glen is here to stay and that we are in no jeopardy of losing it."(4-7-2004)
- More on Mexico: Mike Vazquez, a former co-owner of Hispanic Racing Team, said it is his understanding that NASCAR is attempting to schedule a race from one of its three series in Mexico City for 2005. Carlos Contreras, who ran a partial Busch schedule with Hispanic Racing in 2003, is competing in Mexico, where growing attention for stock car racing has piqued NASCAR's interest.(St Petersburg Times)(4-6-2004)
- Rockingham, Darlington AND Watkins Glen to lose race dates? There was a celebratory air in Bruton Smith's suite Sunday at Bristol. Maybe Smith, chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., knows there will be not one, but two races added to his tracks. If he knows, he's not saying. Smith says he has "not kept up" with a pending lawsuit involving NASCAR's distribution of dates to racetracks, but sources close to the situation expect a second Texas date to be part of the resolution. There's speculation Rockingham, Darlington and Watkins Glen will lose dates next year with races moving to Texas, Las Vegas and Phoenix until tracks can be built in Seattle and New York City. Speedway Motorsports owns Atlanta Motor Speedway, Lowe's Motor Speedway, Infineon Raceway, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Texas and Bristol.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(3-29-2004)
- Darlington AND Rockingham to lose races? Alternating ONE racedate? Texas and Vegas get the dates? UPDATE 2 Darlington expects to get two dates in 2005:
Settlement negotiations in a lawsuit over a second Nextel Cup date for Texas Motor Speedway have potentially major ramifications for two tracks in the Carolinas, The Observer has learned.
A source close to talks in a suit against NASCAR by two Speedway Motorsports Inc. [SMI] shareholders said Monday a settlement could result in International Speedway Corp. selling both North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham and Darlington Raceway to SMI. If such a deal were made, two of three remaining Cup dates from Rockingham and Darlington would move – one to Texas Motor Speedway and the other to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, giving those SMI-owned tracks two dates each per season. The other date would alternate between Rockingham and Darlington, with the Nextel Cup, Busch and Truck series racing at Rockingham one year then at Darlington the next [so much for lights and SAFER]. "I am aware of the (settlement) talks," SMI chairman Bruton Smith said Monday. "I think that they have been going on for about two months, and they're further down the road than they ever have been. But there will have to be a written agreement among all of the attorneys before there's any done deal." Smith said that in his mind any settlement of the suit would have to include a second Cup date for Texas. "That's certainly the key to it, that's why it was filed," he said.(more at ThatsRacin.com), see past news about this on my lawsuit page.(3-23-2004)
UPDATE: After attracting the largest crowd in the 45-year history of Darlington Raceway's spring Nextel Cup event, track officials are feeling good about their chances of keeping two races for 2005. How good? "I feel confident we'll host two races next year. Frankly, I can't see it any other way," raceway president Andrew Gurtis said Tuesday. "As the promoter at Darlington Raceway, look at the last two races we've had here. We've had a sellout for the Mountain Dew Southern 500, and a record crowd for the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. We have two strong sponsors on our Cup races, and great racing. Things are just stacking up." But sources have indicated to The Post and Courier that the millions of dollars ISC has spent to add the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction (SAFER) barrier and a lighting system at Darlington guarantee that the Pee Dee track will have at least one annual event on the Nextel Cup schedule.(Chareslton Post and Courier)
BUT Could a settlement be imminent in the battle to bring a second Nextel Cup race to Texas Motor Speedway? According to several media outlets, yes. But spokesmen for the opposing camps said they are simply following court orders in a mediation process. According to The Associated Press, Samuel Cherry, the attorney for a TMS shareholder who sued NASCAR over its refusal to award a second event, said Tuesday that progress is being made in settlement talks. Cherry said the plaintiffs and NASCAR have agreed not to discuss specifics of the 2-year-old suit. Spokespersons from both racing entities contend that no settlement is about to materialize. "(The suit) is based on the false presumption that NASCAR promised Texas Motor Speedway a second date, which NASCAR did not," NASCAR vice president of communications Jim Hunter said. "No settlement has been reached, to my knowledge." Lauri Wilks, Hunter's counterpart at SMI didn't know anything more. "Not as far as I know," Wilks said. "I don't have an official word of anything." Apparently, there is no agreement -- at least not in written form -- on the table. "Obviously, as everyone knows, it's in the best interest of the sport to put this thing behind us," Hunter said. "We're not at liberty to discuss any of the particulars. There is no timeline. In the meantime, we've got to get on with the business of running the races."(in part from the Daytona Beach News Journal/AP)(3-24-2004)
- Major Schedule Changes Coming in 2005? Mike Helton was on a mission, working the garage the way an ambitious executive works a cocktail party. Moving from stall to stall and team to team, Helton spent Saturday morning before the race at Las Vegas touching base with most of the significant players in the garage -- owners, managers, drivers and crew chiefs. Helton wasn't laying down the law, as he often does as NASCAR's president. He wasn't scrutinizing the cars for potential rules infractions. Instead, he was looking for something far more difficult to locate: a consensus. Helton's task, balancing the needs of the competitors against NASCAR's bottom line, is almost impossible. Rumors say the 2005 Nextel Cup schedule will include dramatic changes, and Helton is trying to address the teams' concerns before the 38 dates (including two nonpoints events) are locked in place.(see full story at FoxSports/Sporting News)(3-16-2004)
- 40-race schedule? [yikes] more on Vegas Reconfig: Cal Wells' [owner of the #32 Tide Chevy] proposal for a 40-race schedule has provoked some thought in the NASCAR garage about where those four races would fit on the calendar. Mother's Day weekend could be one date, or Thanksgiving weekend. Another logical date would be late January. And then there is the question of who might get those four tour dates: if the NASCAR Frances doled two of them out to Bruton Smith, then that might resolve the Texas lawsuit, by adding not only a second tour date at Texas but also a second tour date at Las Vegas. And with a second tour date at Las Vegas, according to sources close to Smith, the Speedway Motorsports boss would almost certainly choose a variable banking design at that 12-degree track, to change the pattern of boring races.(Winston Salem Journal)(3-19-2004)
- Major Schedule Changes Coming in 2005? Mike Helton was on a mission, working the garage the way an ambitious executive works a cocktail party. Moving from stall to stall and team to team, Helton spent Saturday morning before the race at Las Vegas touching base with most of the significant players in the garage -- owners, managers, drivers and crew chiefs. Helton wasn't laying down the law, as he often does as NASCAR's president. He wasn't scrutinizing the cars for potential rules infractions. Instead, he was looking for something far more difficult to locate: a consensus. Helton's task, balancing the needs of the competitors against NASCAR's bottom line, is almost impossible. Rumors say the 2005 Nextel Cup schedule will include dramatic changes, and Helton is trying to address the teams' concerns before the 38 dates (including two nonpoints events) are locked in place.(see full story at FoxSports/Sporting News)(3-16-2004)
- More Realignment Coming: NASCAR's Brian France said he's going to step up the pace of 'realigning' the Winston/Nextel Cup tour to feature newer markets. 'We are moving a date to California for 2004 -- we think that will work better in the long run. And there'll be more of that,' France says. But he said that the moves will be considered 'carefully,' and that the moves will come 'in a slow, methodical way. We're just not going to shred it up to where we lose that continuity.'
The next step is expected to be adding a second Cup date at either Kansas or Phoenix in 2005, or perhaps both, at the expense of races in Rockingham and Darlington. But France has offered no details on that or on any plans he might have for dealing with Bruton Smith and that contentious second Texas race date. However there has been speculation that, as swiftly as France is moving in his first days on the job as NASCAR CEO, that the 2004 tour schedule might not be cast in stone. There is an open date in July ... and the Labor Day Southern 500 was not a sellout, despite all the hype.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-23-2003)
- Mexico? Australia [can I go?] Canada? in the future for NASCAR UPDATE: NASCAR's search for new markets for Winston Cup racing could take a decidedly unexpected twist - think Mexico City and Australia. Car owner Jack Roush says that an early January Cup race in Australia would be perfect timing, since the weather's great, and he likes Canadian and Mexican options, too. While the Indy Racing League would be the obvious choice to replace CART at those venues, NASCAR sources say that the stock-car sanctioning body - which, after all, runs one of the world's most popular auto-racing series - may be approached by sponsors to consider running races at Mexico City and in Australia in CART's stead. Two such Winston Cup races could perk the interest of NBC and Fox, who haven't been making money on the sport they're paying $400 million a year to broadcast. Two venues closer to home, with more logical markets, are Vancouver, British Columbia, and Denver [street courses for Cup cars?].(Winston Salem Journal)(8-4-2003)
UPDATE: NASCAR spokesman Herb Branham confirmed Tuesday the sanctioning body is exploring the "long-term possibility" of holding a Busch or Truck series race in Mexico, likely in the Mexico City area. NASCAR has expanded beyond the continental United States before but only with non-points "exhibition" races held in Japan in 1997 and 1998. "People in Mexico are intensely interested in NASCAR and Mexico borders areas of the U.S. also with a lot of fan interest," Branham said. "It should come as no surprise there would be interest in holding a race in Mexico considering the tremendous growth of the sport." In its third year of distributing its programming overseas, NASCAR started the 2003 season with an expanded global reach including television broadcasts in more than 100 countries in 21 languages each week. "We are working hard to drive more worldwide exposure and attention to NASCAR and we are pleased with the early results our international television partners are seeing in their local markets," said Paul Brooks, NASCAR's vice president of broadcasting. Asked specifically if the 2005 season was a possibility for a NASCAR event in Mexico, Branham said there was not established timetable.(Thatsracin.com)(8-5-2003)
- Kansas takes Darlington race in 2005? In 2005, the Cup series is expected to go to Kansas Speedway a second time, replacing the Darlington spring race on the schedule. NASCAR officials are not expected to release next season's schedule until late summer, so more changes could be made. NASCAR typically makes the schedule only one year in advance.(Roanoke Times)(5-18-2003)
- New York NASCAR's #1 Priority: Over the weekend, Brian France, NASCAR senior vice president and a member of the organization's board of directors, told a group of newspaper sports editors gathered in New York that he would love to see races in the New York and Portland/Seattle areas. France called staging a Winston Cup race near New York City a "No. 1 priority."(Kansas City Star)(5-3-2003)
- More Primetime Races in 2004 and beyond? Television networks, particularly NBC, are pushing to put NASCAR's Winston Cup tour in prime time next season, and that means most or maybe all of next year's final 10 races could be run under the lights. Track officials in California are pushing for state funding of the $3 million or $4 million bill to install lights around the 2-mile track, and they've already been giving a special use permit to run a night race here.(Winston Salem Journal)(4-28-2003)
- More Lit Up Tracks? It is likely that NASCAR officials will address the likelihood that more tracks will be encouraged to add lights to their facilities to provide more flexibility in setting the starting times for races, particularly those in the season's second half. NASCAR is considering later starts to allow the finishes of some races to extend into the late afternoon and early evening hours in an effort to further boost television ratings.(ThatsRacin.com)(1-21-2003)
